Re: Cellulosic Ethanol

From: Dan Bloomquist (EXTRApublic20_at_lakeweb.com)
Date: 08/26/04 

Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 15:19:13 GMT

Robert wrote:
> On Thu, 26 Aug 2004 03:45:26 GMT, Dan Bloomquist <EXTRApublic20@lakeweb.com>
> wrote:
>>Robert wrote:
>>
>>>There is no way the human race can live comfortably on solar energy if the
>>>population is more than about 2-3 billion.
>>
>>I'll respectfully disagree. The numbers say otherwise. The only reason
>>we don't use solar is because coal, nuclear, and other sources are much
>>more cost competitive. Otherwise, solar thermal fuel and electricity
>>would use a meaningless amount of land.
>
> But we DO use 100% solar.
>
> This planet's coal and oil reserves represent twenty million years of
> concentrated solar energy.
>
> That lowest of all animals, homo sapiens, is stupid enough to use the lot in
> about 200 years....and probably wipe itself out in the process.

This is about our human condition, not what is possible. I don't have a
lot of hope for our future.

>>(Little square in AZ is for our, USA's, opulent consumption. And I'll
>>leave the details like packing and storage for another time.)
>>
>>http://lakeweb.com/chris/solar.gif
>>
>>We have all ready dedicated ten times that area to transportation right
>>of ways.
>
> There is no way we will be able to cover 300,000
> kms^2 with PV cells....that's what we will need to replace oil.

I come up with the heating value of oil, pumped per day world wide, at
3.5E17 exajoules. Sulfur-iodine at 50% packing gets you 1E7
exajoules/m^2/day. 35,000 km^2, less than 200 km on a side. (check my
numbers.)

I'm not advocating this as practical, but it is possible.

Best, Dan. 

-- 
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